A woman from the mainland was arrested on Sunday for stealing 5,000 patacas from a local woman, Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Wong Wai Chon said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Wong identified the suspect as a female surnamed Meng, who is in her forties and claimed to be jobless.
According to Wong, a local woman reported on Sunday that her handbag had been unzipped while in a shop in Areia Preta （黑沙環）district, and 5,000 patacas in cash had vanished. She suspected someone had stolen the money and immediately reported the case to the police.
Using citywide CCTV surveillance and the shop’s footage, the police identified Meng as the suspect and intercepted her later that day outside a casino on Rua de Foshan (佛山街). The footage showed Meng, who approached the victim while she was in the queue to pay, using an umbrella and her bag to shield her crime as she unzipped the victim’s handbag and stole the cash. The police also discovered that Meng had lingered near the Barrier Gate checkpoint after committing the theft, behaving suspiciously and eyeing passers-by, but she did not commit any further crimes. The police seized HK$2,300 and 4,300 yuan in cash from her.
Under questioning, Meng denied the crime, claiming that she had come to Macau for shopping and gambling. Wong added that Meng has a prior conviction for theft in 2017.
Meng has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a theft charge.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) yesterday shows a PSP officer escorting the theft suspect into a police station.
